Where It Matters
by samirant
Summary: Where it matters is where it all began. Prequel to Unexpected. Complete.


Where It Matters

By Rant

Disclaimer: KAZAAM!  All is disclaimed besides my storyline.

*********************************** ~ *********************************** 

"Where do you see yourself in twenty years?"

Chloe blinked wildly, looking perplexed for a moment before finally shrugging and saying, "That's a little too far ahead for concern don't you think?"

"Not really," Mrs. Jameson, who had asked the question, leaned forward with her arms on the desk.  "Time passes by quite quickly.  It's not a terrible thought to have at least some idea of what the future holds."

"I guess," Chloe bit her thumbnail for a moment before saying, "Off the top of my head, I'd like to be working for a newspaper. The Daily Planet, of course."

"Of course," Mrs. Jameson smiled at her.

"It's always been a dream of mine and I don't plan on giving up before retirement," Chloe cocked her head to the side, a thoughtful look coming over her face.  "Living in Metropolis would be a must.  After coming back for school here, it just made me realize how much I missed it after moving to Smallville.  There's not many high-risers over there."

She smiled sheepishly and Mrs. Jameson laughed, "Go on."

"I like high-risers.  I'd want an apartment high above the city," Chloe spoke more eagerly now, clearly diving into the question. "Get up first thing in the morning, check that the editor didn't mess up my article too much after I turned it in and take in the view while I have some coffee and prepare for what's coming next in the day."

"I can certainly see you doing that," Mrs. Jameson nodded appreciatively.  "What about personally?  Family?  Children?"

Chloe grimaced, "I don't know.  Maybe I'll be married, but I'm not so sure about anything more than that.  One kid, if my husband breaks me down enough, I suppose."

"It does all depend on what happens between here and now," the other woman replied.  "You might be wondering why I asked you that."

"A little."

"Well, it's always been my goal to get to know the students who work for me at the paper, Chloe," she shrugged idly. "And while you're an incredibly hard worker and you turn in top-notch articles-"

"Thank you," Chloe interrupted, quite flattered.

"-I just don't know you very well and that's something I want to break through before this coming semester."  Mrs. Jameson stopped for a moment and considered something for a moment before saying, "Because I have every intention of offering you the Editor position for the Oracle."

"Really?"  Chloe gasped and broke into a wild smile. "Are you serious?"

"Your work does speak for itself, Chloe," Mrs. Jameson said confidently.  "But I'd like you to see me as a partner rather than just your supervisor. That means being more comfortable around each other. Consider that question just something to warm up by."

Not giving much heed to her warning, Chloe jumped up from her seat and began to shake her advisor's hand eagerly.  "This is wonderful, such an incredible honor, I promise, Mrs. Jameson, I won't let you down…"

"I expect you won't, Chloe."  Mrs. Jameson began to gather up some papers on her desk when Chloe finally let go of her hand, beaming brightly.  "But we'll have to make some appointments between the two of us, we'll have to figure out a pace that works well for us both.  You'll also have to arrange for some meetings with Harry so he can explain his system for being the Editor this semester.  That way our transition next year won't be so rocky."

"Yeah," Chloe tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, her smile reaching from one to the other.  "Oh, my gosh, I can't wait to tell Clark."

"Oh, Mr. Kent," Mrs. Jameson winked at her.  "Any place for him in that future?"

"Eh," Chloe hesitated, "Let's save that for another appointment, shall we?"

The other woman laughed lightly, but nodded. "Just call me in the next couple of days and we'll get started."

"Great," Chloe bounced out of the room into the empty hallways of Metropolis University.  The day looked brighter all around her as she held her news closely.  _Editor.  Of the Oracle!  Editor Sullivan.  Chloe Sullivan, Editor-In-Chief… this beats the Torch by a mile!  _When she stepped out into the bright sunlight, she blindly looked for the keys to her Bug while repeating the title over and over in her head.  Sure, she'd known that Harry was graduating, and a part of her had been wishing to fill the position, but to be actually told?

Chloe wasn't sure if that smile was going to come off any time soon.

*********************************** ~ *********************************** 

"What?" Clark's eyes went wide at hers, his hand falling off the doorknob to his dorm room in surprise.  "You got the position?"

"Yes!"  Chloe spread her hands wide. "Jameson just told me!"

"That's fantastic!"  Clark swept forward, gathering her in his arms and turning her in a full circle, nearly hitting some coeds walking by.  "You're going to be in charge of me again."

"You better believe it, buddy," Chloe poked him in the chest when he put her down.  "I might even make you start calling me Ms. Sullivan now."

"Ah, Chloe," Clark pretended to pout, but opened the door wider and gestured to come in. When she walked past, he put his hand on the small of her back and said, "I was going to tell you some news myself, but it doesn't seem so special now that you've told me yours."

"Huh?"  Chloe's attention diverted by the warmth of his hand, she gave him a blank look.

Quite mindlessly, Clark stepped away and sat at his desk chair.  "I just got a call from the Morex Foundation.  They're having a workshop this summer in Metropolis and I've been invited to join."

"Morex?"  Chloe thought to herself for a moment before saying, "Aren't they connected to the New York Times?  And the Post?"

"One and the same," Clark tried to make his voice light, but she could see the excitement he could barely hide.  "I told them I'd think about it."

"Think about it?"  Chloe rolled her eyes, "This is a great opportunity, Clark.  I didn't even know you'd signed up."

He shrugged, "I didn't want to get my hopes up in case I was turned down."

"Get turned down?"  Chloe waved a hand in the air.  "I don't say it much, because we know how big that head of yours can get-"

"Oh, yeah, I'm very much ego-driven," Clark cracked.

"-but you've turned out to be a really good writer," Chloe brushed her fingernails on her t-shirt and added with a false haughty air, "With some help, of course.  I can see why they offered it to you."

Clark blushed a little, letting her joke pass by without objection.  "Thanks, Chloe."

"No problem," Chloe shook her body a little in excitement. "You know what this calls for, right?"

"A good night's sleep?" Clark asked cautiously, a grin playing on his lips.

"Silly," Chloe swiped at his head. "We, dear sir, need to go out and celebrate tonight."

"Celebrate, hmm, what a novel concept," Clark said thoughtfully.  

"No questions or arguments," Chloe messed with his hair.  "Come by tonight at seven."

"Sounds good," Clark reached up and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.  "Congratulations again."

"Thanks," She turned before he could see her face turn deep red.  "I'll see you tonight."

"Sure thing."

*********************************** ~ *********************************** 

Chloe ticked off the thoughts one by one as she walked down the sidewalks of Metropolis.  _Called dad, check.  Calmed dad down, check.  Told Lana, check… told Pete who was with Lana… hmm, check.  She smiled smugly to herself and took a palm pilot out of her purse and started to go over the week after spring break, wondering idly where she could fit in some time with both Mrs. Jameson and Harry.  Consumed with her plans, Chloe nearly passed by her regular coffee shop without a thought, but the smell wafted into her nose and she soon looked up and stopped._

Backing up comically until she was at the doorway, she rummaged in her purse again to make sure she had enough money. _Stupid school tuition, Chloe muttered inwardly, _don't they understand addictions?  HA!  Five bucks, I knew I'd hidden that somewhere._  Money in hand, she walked into the shop.  She usually tried to limit her intake of their pricey blends, but anyone would agree with her that this was a special occasion.  Taking a stand in the long line that was nearly always there, Chloe didn't bother to look up at the menu as she started fooling with her schedule again.  _

On the verge of finding a perfect spot to give Harry a couple of hours, Chloe's annoyance was peaked when someone bumped into from behind.  Barely turning she said, "Excuse me, there's such a thing as personal space."

"Sorry," the cool voice responded, sounding oddly familiar and not really apologetic at all.  "Pile-ups happen often around here."

"Yeah, I'm sure, it's a regular freeway," Chloe said sarcastically without looking at him, trying once more to delve into her plans.  She would have gladly ignored the rudeness of the man behind her, but her curiosity grew as she fought to place the voice.  Slowing dropping her palm pilot to her side, Chloe looked at the head of the person in front of her.  When realization dawned, she spun slowly, "Lex?"

"Yes?"  Eyes hidden behind sunglasses, she wasn't sure he was looking at her until his head bent to the side in contemplation.  That's when a smile spread on his face. "Chloe Sullivan."

"In the flesh," Chloe did a mock curtsey.  "Fancy meeting you here."

"I could say the same.  How long has it been?"  Lex took off his glasses, squinting a little against the bright light coming in through the window beside them. 

"Um, three months or so, since the LexCorp ball, but we didn't speak," Chloe raised her eyebrows.  "You were a little busy."

"Ah, yes. I believe December was… Molly Hampton?"  Lex thought for a moment before nodding with assuredness.  "Yes, she got me a horrible portrait of herself for Christmas."

Chloe snorted with laughter, "That's what you get for dating the flavor of the month."

"They _become_ the flavor of the month by dating me," Lex said lightly with a roll of his eyes.  "If my information is correct, she's in Europe right now, walking the runways.  She was always best at just being silent."

"Ouch," Chloe said, not bothering to hide her glee.  She'd never been one for the model types that often paraded around Metropolis, hoping for their big break.  She smiled brightly and said, "Glad to see that you've got your head on straight, Luthor."

He smiled back, rocking a little on the heels of his feet as Chloe faced forward again.  He opened his mouth to say something once, but held back instead, staying silent as the line moved up and Chloe approached the counter.  Listening intently, Lex swallowed a chuckle as she gave the cashier explicit instructions on how she wanted her drink before thrusting her bill at the other person. Lex reached forward, though, taking the money out of her hands and putting it in her purse.

Chloe looked up, quite surprised as Lex smiled beguilingly at the young girl at the register as he said, "Make that two."

He took out his wallet, handing his money to the star struck girl who couldn't take her eyes off his scalp, but then stuttered into the mike in front of her and added the second order.  Amused, Lex took his ticket and guided Chloe away from the counter.  He leaned to her side and said, "You aren't going to turn Femi-Nazi on me for doing that, now are you?"

"Not even your attempt at chivalry is going to break me out of my good mood, Daddy Warbucks," Chloe smirked at him as she sat on a stool by the window. "Besides, you paying means all the more coffee for me tomorrow.  Who am I to fight when it's free?"

"Glad to see that you won't put up an argument," Lex said dryly.  "So what's this good mood all about?"

"I'm going to be editor of the Met U Oracle next semester, just got the news this afternoon," Chloe answered excitedly.  

"That is definitely a good reason," Lex nodded in agreement.  "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Chloe bounced a little in her seat out of sheer happiness.  "It's going to be fantastic, I've already been brainstorming on several investigative reports I can put different people on. Besides, I get to choose my own assistant editors and that'll take some figuring out, but the it's the good kind of expectation, you know?"

"The good…" Lex looked at her questioningly.

"You know, that excitement the night before your first day of school, or how you can't fall asleep the night of Christmas when you're little," Chloe said quickly.  "The good anticipation."

"Ah, I see," Lex nodded again and leaned back against the wall next to her.  "Is Clark going to be one of the assistant editors?"

Chloe began to look everywhere but at him, very obviously a little embarrassed by the question, "Maybe."

"That would be a yes," Lex looked up as his name was called and he retrieved their drinks.  When he returned, he handed one to Chloe and said, "So how is it with the dynamic duo these days?"

"Just peachy," Chloe took a sip of the coffee before saying more.  "But I would think you'd know more from Clark, you two are always keeping in touch, aren't you?"

"On and off," Lex said easily.  "We're both busy."

"Speaking of busy, how's the new office in Metropolis coming along?"  Chloe was eager to get the spotlight off of Clark, Lex could see it easily, but he let it pass.

"Well.  Very well, actually.  It's nice to have a new home base, I've always enjoyed Metropolis and the commute from Smallville isn't difficult."

"So, still living over there, huh?"  Chloe shrugged, "I would have thought you'd have escaped at the first chance."

"That was the plan at first," Lex said.  "It's nice to have a quiet place to stay around, though.  And what can I say, Smallville can grow on you.  You can't tell me that you don't miss it sometimes."

"Eh…" Chloe pretended to contemplate for a moment before finally giving in and letting out a sheepish smile.  "Maybe just a little."

Her smile was contagious, so Lex returned it easily.  "That's what I thought."

A small beeping noise started emitting from Chloe's purse where she'd dropped her palm pilot ages before.  Giving Lex an apologetic look, she extracted it and jumped in surprise.  Lex raised an eyebrow when she swore loudly, "Sorry, I completely forgot that I have an interview set up with the Dean of Admissions this afternoon. I have to run."

"Don't worry about it," Lex waved a hand in the air.  "I should be heading out of here, too."

"Thanks again for the drink," Chloe waved her more than half-empty cup in the air and grinned.  "Tell me when you're in here again and I might just find some time for you to be gallant again."

"Oh, how we've moved on from saving damsels from dragons to supplying their addiction," Lex sighed.

"Modern situations, Lex," Chloe winked and hopped off the stool.  Stopping suddenly, she gave him a side-glance, "Though you can save yourself the trouble…"

"I have a feeling I should have left a while ago," Lex said uneasily.

Chloe ignored his hesitancy, "How about breaking in the new Editor and granting an interview over your new headquarters?"

"Chloe," Lex grimaced, "Our interviews have never gone as planned, surely you remember that."

"Then we won't conduct one in your penthouse, all right?"  Chloe asked teasingly.  "Come on, Lex, this would be a extraordinary start to my career. Please?"

Exasperated, Lex tried to avoid her doleful gaze for several seconds before sighing loudly.  Taking a card out of his wallet, he passed it to her and said, "Let me think about it.  In any case, I'm sure you'd figure out my number and would start harassing me within three days."

"So nice to be understood." Pleased, Chloe flicked the card in her fingers.  "You won't regret this Lex."

"I hope not," Lex said, but even Chloe's good mood couldn't be turned away.  He surprised her by taking back the card and pulling out a pen.  Writing on it, he added, "I'm giving you my home number here in Metropolis, I figure I should save you the trouble of hacking into the phone company's records.  Call and we'll set it up for next week some time."

"Fantastic," Chloe grabbed the card back when he hesitated to hand it over once more and stuffed it in the pocket of her jean jacket.  "Mrs. Jameson is going to absolutely die when I tell her about this."

"Please, don't let a death be on my conscience," Lex made a face at her.

"We'll have to see.  Thanks, Lex."

"Don't make me regret this."

"Oh, it's going to be unforgettable, I promise," Chloe waved at him over her should as she walked out of the shop.  

Sighing one last time, Lex shook his head.  Though she was out of earshot, he said, "I'm beginning to think that was an incredible understatement."

*********************************** ~ *********************************** 

It had been a tough decision, but Chloe had rationalized to herself that she and Clark completely deserved their celebration.  Her mind made up, she barely winced as she withdrew money from an ATM after conducting her interview.  After safely tucking away the cash, she rushed back to her dorm room and got ready for the night out.  When Clark showed up a couple hours later, she had her words set out perfectly.

He stood in her doorway, casually dressed and with a wide grin on his face. Before Chloe could start on her proposition, Clark asked, "Envay's?"  

Chloe smiled brightly, happy that she wouldn't have to convince him.  "Envay's."

Shaking his head and sighing, Clark said, "When are you ever going to get tired of that place?"

"What?"  Chloe picked up the small purse she used for going out and guided Clark out of her dorm room.  "Good music, nice atmosphere, there so much that they don't bother carding us anymore…"

"It's Metropolis, Chloe," Clark said with an air of resignation.  "There are thousands of places we could at least try."

"Please, Clark?"  Chloe pretended to pout.  "Just for tonight.  We'll try some place new next time."

"Promise?"  Clark asked suspiciously.

"I swear on my interview with Lex Luthor."

"Wait a second-"

"I ran into him this afternoon."  They were outside now, walking in the general direction of the small club that Chloe frequented.  "I was finally able to wear him down to agreeing to a small talk."

"You didn't threaten him, did you?"

"Oh, you know me too well," Chloe said with a roll of her eyes.  "No, I didn't threaten him.  It's being considered a prize for my new position as editor."

"Well, that's nice of him," Clark said back vaguely.  

"You're not mad are you?"  Chloe stopped in place and looked up at him.  "Have you been trying to get an interview with him, too?"

Clark shrugged uncomfortably, "I never got around to it.  I wasn't so sure if I could write an objective piece when it's my best friend."

"Oh."

"But hey, don't worry about it," Clark threw an arm around her shoulders.  "You deserve this, and I'm sure you'll write something great."

"Thanks," Chloe blushed, but put her arm around his waist.  "I will write something great, won't I?"

"Oh, no, sir, I don't think this is getting to her head at all," Clark said sarcastically to an invisible ear.

Chloe pretended to punch his side, "Behave.  You know I'm playing."

"Yeah, I know," Clark grinned down at her, but didn't move his arm.  "Next year is going to be great."

"Absolutely."

*********************************** ~ *********************************** 

They were lucky enough to grab their usual booth, Chloe quickly ordering a pitcher of margaritas, also their usual.  Clark munched on some chips that the waitress brought up as a small group of men played jazz in the smoky corner of the room; they chatted happily as one song drifted into another and people came in and out all around them.  Eager to expand on his own news, Clark told her how he'd called the Morex foundation after she left and reserved his spot in the workshop.  It earned him a high five and a quick kiss on the cheek from Chloe, who was quickly becoming more brazen with each sip of her drink.

"Metropolis better watch out," she said confidently.  "They're not going to know what hit them after we graduate."

"I have no intention of hitting them," Clark said, sitting back in his seat and pushing his drink to the side.  "And I'm really not sure what I'm going to do just yet."

"Oh, but you have to stay around here," Chloe pleaded.

"I probably will," Clark's features darkened.  "It's just…"

Revelation became clear and Chloe nodded, "Big cities means big crimes.  Frequent crimes."

Clark smiled sadly, "Yeah."

"You can't save everyone, Clark," Chloe lowered her voice.  "Granted, I know it's in you to do it, but you're going to go mad if you let it consume you."

"I know, I know."

"Besides, you gotta earn a living, don't you?"  Chloe squeezed a lime into her salt-rimmed glass.  "All I'm saying is that you need a day job.  You know I wouldn't dare stop you from doing what you feel compelled to do."

Clark nodded, but looked away.  He knew she was telling the full truth when she said that and it was at times like these that he was thankful that he'd told her everything shortly before they'd started college together.  Chloe had taken it better than he'd expected, making Pete's own learning of his status look like a full-blown battle.  Rather than freaking out, she'd nodded understandably and asked for more details.  A complete Chloe reaction, he saw that now.  She'd even taken to covering for him when he missed meetings for the paper and copying notes for two when he missed class.  Sighing a little, he finally said, "Maybe this summer will help me figure out what I want to do with my degree."

"Gee, a journalism degree, what _will you do with that?"  Chloe pursed her lips at him before taking another drink. _

"Hey, there's lots of people who don't use their degree for the jobs they eventually excel at," Clark said defensively.

"But you're good at it, Clark," Chloe put her hand on his.  "And besides, it would give you an in-and-out lifestyle where not a lot of people would question you disappearing.  They'd probably just think you were on a story.  Which you basically are…"

"True," Clark said.  "Anyway, it's still a year off. We'll see what happens."

"Fair enough," Chloe rattled the toothpick in her now empty cup before waving at the waitress and gesturing for another pitcher.  "Want another?"

"I think you're taking care of enough of that by yourself," Clark said, amused.  "Sure you don't want to stop already?"

"Oh, come on, Clark, lighten up.  We're supposed to be celebrating."

"All right, all right… give me that lime."

*********************************** ~ *********************************** 

"I think I'm a little… drunk," Chloe stumbled up the steps to her dorm room, leaning against Clark's side.  "Thank God tomorrow's Saturday."

"Today," Clark emphasized after looking at his watch, "is Saturday."

"I am so going to sleep in," Chloe breathed deeply when they reached her floor and dropped her head on Clark's shoulder.  "Are you going to sleep in?"

"Probably not," Clark patted her pockets and pulled out her keys after finding them.  

"Stupid alien blood, no hangovers for you in the morning," Chloe said grumpily as Clark looked up and down the darkened hallway and was relieved to see no one there.

"Chloe-"

"Come on, I'm sober enough not to yell that at the top of my lungs," Chloe pointed at a doorway.  "Just like I'm sober enough to tell you that the girl in _that room is cheating on her boyfriend."  She giggled wildly, "With her roommate!"_

Clark stared at the door with surprise before easily dragging Chloe down the hall, the tipsy girl still chattering away. "I'm sober enough to tell you everything Dean Covan told me this afternoon.  I'm sober enough to break into the school's database-"

"Hey, you promised not to do that again-"

"Hell, I'm sober enough to recite my ABC's," Chloe proved it by beginning to mutter them under her breath.

Clark laughed a little, finally stopping at her door and propping her against the wall.  "Okay, you've convinced me."

She stared at him with bleary eyes, reaching out her hand and messing with his hair.  "You're so pretty."

"Thanks, I think," Clark looked perplexed as he began to open the lock.

"But I don't think it's because you're pretty…" Chloe trailed off, looking at him intently, as if deciding she wanted to say something that was on her mind.

"What was that?"

"I think you're one of the most wonderful people I know," Chloe said on a breath of air, not going into the room when the door opened.  "Always thought that."

"You're pretty great, too, Chloe. Come on," Clark picked her up and started to go inside.

"I got over you for a while," Chloe muttered as he put her down in the middle of the room and she took off her jacket, throwing it to the side.  She didn't see the surprised look on Clark's face as she went on, "And that's just fine, it was a long time ago, but, man…"

"But what?"  Clark made her sit down on the edge of her bed, taking off her shoes and setting them neatly to the side.

Chloe leaned forward quickly, a hand on each of his cheeks, "You sucked me in again, you big dope."

"Uh, Chloe-"

"Sorry, you're not a dope," Chloe took a deep breath. "I love you, though.  Happened all over again.  That's not a bad thing, is it?"

When she finally looked at him, there was no mistaking the horror on Clark's face as he kneeled before her.  Sobriety hit her in a split second as Clark fought to find words to respond, but Chloe stopped him by flinching back, slapping her hands on her face and saying, "And I'm sober enough to know that I just humiliated myself."

Clark stood up quickly, putting space between them; Chloe didn't remove her hands as he began to shift uncomfortably.  "Chloe-"

"I'm going to wake up, I'm going to wake up.  I did not just say that," Chloe repeated over and over.

"You know I care about you…"

"Just not in that way," Chloe dropped her hands.

Clark spread his own, saying, "We were just saying it tonight, I have no idea what I'm going to do with my career, let alone my personal life.  Getting involved with someone right now would be a really bad idea."

"Even if it's me?"  Chloe whispered, a hurt growing inside of her chest.  "Being with me would be a bad idea?"

"It's not like that Chloe," Clark rushed forward, bringing her hands into his. 

"Tell me you don't love me," Chloe said hoarsely, fighting back tears that were making her throat swell.  "Tell me that you haven't been dropping hints all junior year about us being together."

"I do love you, Chloe," Clark raised a finger and pushed her hair back. "But not like that, not right now."

"Then when?"  Voice sounding pathetic in her own ears, Chloe wrenched back from him.

"I can't say," Clark whispered back.  

"So, what, you love me, but not that way?"  Chloe pushed him away.  "Are you telling me that you just love me like a friend?  Like a sister?"

Clark bit his lip, unsure of how to respond.  Chloe, though, looked as if she wasn't about to let him leave without an answer.  Grabbing to what she said, Clark hesitantly said, "Something like that?"

"Something like that." Chloe's voice had gone dead, much like her hopeful heart.  "I'm Clark Kent's much loved sister."

"I…" Clark tried to speak, but the words just wouldn't come out, the correction wouldn't announce itself.  He fought for several seconds before giving up and saying, "Yeah, I guess."

Chloe turned her face from him, knowing she wouldn't be able to hold back if she were to look at him straight in the eye.  Voice empty, she finally spoke up, "Maybe you should get going.  I have a hangover to wake up to."

"I," Clark swallowed hard when she wouldn't turn to him.  "Are you okay?"

"Oh, just dandy," Chloe said quietly, but she began to crawl onto her bed, throwing the blankets on top of herself even though she had yet to change out of her smoky clothes.  "I'll just see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Um, okay, I suppose," Clark looked back at the door and her small figured huddled in the blankets.  "Good night, Chloe."

"Good night, Clark."  

It was after the lights had been snapped off, the door closed and when she heard Clark walking far down the hall that she finally let the tears fall.

*********************************** ~ *********************************** 

If Friday had been one of the best days of Chloe Sullivan's life, then Saturday had to rank among the worst.  She woke up with a raging headache, a mouth full of dirty cotton and clothes that clung to her most uncomfortably.  It was all the worse when she remembered what had happened late the night before.  Brushing her teeth was a disgusting adventure and she had to pop a couple of Tylenol and drink several cups of water before starting to feel a little bit more human.  It didn't help her heart, though.

So that's why she was here, walking around the streets of Metropolis late on a Saturday evening.  Couples milled all around her, planning their evenings with delight and hurting the small blonde in the jean jacket more than they could ever know.  

Avoiding Clark had been the test of the ages, making Chloe change her entire schedule in order to pulverize any chance meeting they may have.  Even now, especially now, she wasn't sure what would be said when they met up again.  Tears didn't come in the late evening, mostly because she'd practically dried herself out in the small corner of the library where she'd taken refuge, pretending to study when people passed by.  Hiding in the crowds was helpful, promising anonymity when she so desperately craved it. 

Lost in her thoughts of rejection and wounded pride, Chloe didn't realize the she was playing with the card in her pocket until one of the sharp corners jammed underneath a fingernail.  Wondering what it was, she pulled the object, looking at it with surprise when she saw Lex Luthor's name written in bold font on one side, a phone number in quick strokes on the back.  She stared at it without meaning to, slowing her feet automatically as she passed by the front of a restaurant and elbowed through the crowd.  

Coming to a stop and leaning against a convenient post, Chloe let her mind go over the good parts of the previous day.  Lex had been so pleasant, not something that was a complete surprise but then again, they'd never been that close anyway.  He'd been a nice distraction and it had led to a promising interview.  

Slapping the card against her hand, Chloe looked all around, as if expecting to catch someone watching her.  Looking back down at it, she sighed. Not even the promise of an exclusive interview was cheering her up now.  That was pretty bad.  Straightening up, Chloe was on the verge of heading back to her dorm when she realized what she'd been leaning against.  

A phone booth.

Bringing the card into her sight, a person from the outside would have seen a young girl faced with an interesting dilemma.  She looked at the card, then the phone, then back at the card, considering the two together.  Finally forcing a laugh, Chloe shook her head.  _I'm being absolutely ridiculous._  

_But why do I suddenly feel as if a hole is burning in my pocket?_

_No way, Sullivan.  He gave you the number for an interview, not so you could go cry on his shoulder over Clark Kent._

_But he was so nice._

_Doesn't mean I can force him to be my confidant._

_I need someone to talk to.  We had a good talk yesterday._

_He's probably with the flavor of the month anyway.  _

_Then he'll appreciate the interruption._

Both sides fought brazenly, but it was soon clear which one was winning.  Running a hand through her hair, Chloe looked up into the sky and said to no one in particular, "I must be crazy."

But she dialed the number anyway.

*********************************** ~ *********************************** 

"Well, I have to say this is a pleasant diversion from the usual," Lex said as he opened the door.  Chloe stood nervously on the other side, but gave him a small smile.  "Come on in."

"Thanks," Chloe stepped in, taking a quick glance around.  "Sure you don't mind the interruption?"

"Of course not, you caught me on a rare night off," Lex padded across the floor, Chloe's mouth quirking when she saw his bare feet sink into the plush carpet.  "Have you eaten dinner?"

"No," Chloe called out as she walked around the apartment, still contemplating a quick escape.  

"Want to join me?  Ann-Marie was nice enough to freeze some casseroles for me when she was here last.  There's plenty if you want some, too."

"Sure, why not?"  Chloe listened distractedly, looking at some frames on the wall.  Most of them were modern pieces, something she'd never expected to find in Lex Luthor's home.  "Nice paintings."

"Yeah, I'm not wild about them, but I just let the decorator have a free reign.  I'm not here enough to bother," Lex came back into the living room, drying his hands with a dishtowel. He gave Chloe an intense look before asking, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," Chloe lied.  She didn't meet his eyes as she played with a tassel on the draperies  "Just in the mood for a Smallville-slash-Metropolis connection."

"Right."  Before Lex could say anything more, the phone rang from beside him.  Giving Chloe a gesture to say he'd be right back, he took the phone and retreated into the kitchen. A few minutes passed where slight murmurings could be heard before Lex's voice became louder.  Obviously arguing with the person on the other side, Chloe tried not to listen in as Lex gave them a serious run-down.  Grimacing a little when a slur of profanities broke through, Chloe stuffed her hands in her back pockets and eyed the exit a little more intently.  

He came back a short while later; upon seeing Chloe standing dangerously close to the front door, Lex said, "Sorry about that.  Some people just don't know how to take orders."

"No big deal," Chloe thumbed towards the door.  "Maybe I should get going anyway."

"If you want to," Lex shrugged. "Tell Clark I said hi, all right?"

The way her back stiffened at the other man's named said more than Chloe could have ever described with words.  "Ah… that's what's wrong."

"I should go," Chloe said hastily.

"Wait a second," Lex stopped her by placing his palm on the wood and hindering her exit. "I don't know what happened, but you obviously didn't want to be around him.  Stick around, we don't have to discuss it."

Chloe gnawed on her bottom lip for several moments before nodding slightly.  She drew away from the door and sat down on the couch.  "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Lex disappeared into the kitchen again, coming back out with two steaming plates.  It was when he returned again with a bottle of wine and two glasses that Chloe broke her silence.

"I really don't know what I'm doing here.  I was just out walking and thinking and just so caught up in everything… your number just kind of fell into my hands, you know?"  She took the glass he'd half-filled with wine and sipped a little. "This is good."

"It's the best," Lex agreed, sticking out his feet in front of him and taking a bite of his food.  An uncomfortable silence fell between them as Chloe slowly ate from her own dish and stared everywhere but at him.  It was a vast difference from their easy canter the day before and they both knew it.

Lex spoke up, "So, how's your dad doing?"  

"Good, good," Chloe said quickly. "I'll be going home in a couple days for Spring Break, I'll see him then."

"That's nice," Lex nodded. 

"Is work going well?"

"Very well."

"Oh, you said that yesterday, huh."

"Well, it's a good thing that it's constant, right?"

"Yeah."

Ill at ease and tired of it, Chloe finally put down her plate and said, "I told him how I felt about him and he turned me down."

Lex slapped his head in indignation. "What a moron."

"Hey!"

"Not you.  Clark."  

"Oh.  Thanks, I guess."

"One of these days, Kent needs to get his head out of his ass," Lex said fiercely.  He gave her a sympathetic look.  "Kind of explains a lot."

"Yeah," Chloe played with her wine glass.  "It's been a hard day.  I didn't come here to spill it on you, I'm sorry."

"It's all right.  It helps that I already knew my best friend is clueless when it comes to the female race of this planet."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, the truth of his words hitting closer to the truth than Lex probably knew.  When he began to eat again, she found herself watching the way his jaw moved with each bite, the movement causing the ripple of bone underneath his skin.  Just the way he settled into the couch was a case for wide-eyes as his shirt slid up a little, revealing a small flash of his waist.  Suddenly very aware of the man sitting next to her, Chloe coughed into her hand and turned away.  "So, yeah.  It sucks to be me right now."

Lex gave her a look out of the corner of his eye, one that Chloe warily met.  "Believe me, Chloe, he's going to regret saying whatever he said to you.  If he doesn't already."

"Really?" The question escaped before she could put a leash on it. Chloe instantly blushed and stuttered into her wine glass, "N-never mind.  Stupid question."

"No, it's not," Lex said thoughtfully.  

"It's not?" Damn it, she really needed that leash.

"Turning down a beautiful woman who obviously has very deep feelings for him?  Any man would regret turning that away, Chloe." 

Okay, she didn't need a dry throat right now, but there it was.  Chloe swallowed thickly, but didn't say anything back for a while.  Instead, she ate quietly, not turning towards Lex, but throwing back the last of her wine with vigor.  Though she tried to ignore it, every fiber of her was on alert as Lex lifted a hand to drink or switched his feet to rest on the other knee.  She jumped in surprise when he leant over her and picked up her glass.

"Want some more?"  His eyes bored into hers and Chloe needed a moment to gather her scattered thoughts. 

"Yeah… I won't be able to get stuff like that on my budget for a long time."

His laughter was throaty, causing a shiver to work its way through the center of her chest, crisscrossing down her back and up her neck.  Chloe fought not to let it be seen as she took the second glass from him and started on it.  

It was with great relief that the plates were finally cleaned out and Lex took them off back to the kitchen.  Chloe contemplated following him, but instead shook her head and forced herself to stay on the couch.  Through the clinking of the plates and glasses she heard Lex say, "Do you need to use the bathroom?  It's down the hall, fourth door on the left."

"Actually, yeah," Chloe said with surprise.  When she licked her lips, she could taste the sauce from the pasta; shocking herself, she added, "Hey, do you have an extra toothbrush or something? The spices in the food were pretty strong."

"Second drawer, help yourself. They should still be in the wrapper," Lex yelled back.

"Thanks," Chloe muttered, walking down the darkened hallway and finding the bathroom.  It was when she was at the sink and pulling out the toothbrush from the plastic that she caught herself in the mirror.  Staring, she said, "You are not going to do this.  Tell me you're not going to do this."

_Liar._

Chloe unwrapped the toothbrush and applied liberal amounts of the paste that was hidden in the same drawer.  She carefully brushed at her teeth for several minutes before feeling satisfied.  After rinsing out her mouth and dabbing at her face with a hand towel, she said, "Just brushing my teeth, that's normal, right?  Cleaning up.  Everyone likes to be clean, don't they?" 

She'd brought her purse along and Chloe was adding to her mantra when she dipped her hand into a small pocket and took out a tube of lipstick.  Uncapping it, she applied it carefully, telling herself, "I like this lipstick.  I've had it a long time, always wear it.  There's nothing strange about me putting it on right now."

_Liar. Liar. Liar._

"I mean, he said I'm beautiful, right?"  Chloe turned off the light and poked her head out the window.  "Besides the fact that I'm talking to myself in a dark hallway, though doesn't mean much.  And he's got great lips.  He's got a great… everything."__

_And the truth shall set you free._

He was sitting on the couch, staring at the fire in front of him when she returned.  Chloe bit the inside of her cheek as he slowly stroked at his chin, concentrating inwardly.  Smacking her lipstick-laden mouth slightly, she said, "I'm back.  I didn't make you wait long, did I?"

"Oh," Lex looked up and smiled. "You were right, those spices were strong.  Had to take care of that myself, so I just got back."

"Ah," Chloe didn't sit down; rather, she stood near the fireplace, running a hand down the warm brick.  She was starting to feel more than a little foolhardy as Lex watched her with curious eyes.  Every once in a while, she looked at him and then to the door, caught in her own little battle once more.  Setting her shoulders, she asked, "Lex?"

It was as if he'd been expecting her to say something.  "Yes, Chloe?"

"Am I," Chloe paused, hesitating once before bursting out, "Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?"

"When you said, that you thought…" Chloe wrung her hands together, not sure how to finish.

"That I thought…"

"That I'm beautiful," Chloe finished lamely.

Lex regarded her steadily for a long while, a while that Chloe felt every second tick by with a heavy heartbeat.  Taking a low breath, Lex eased her by saying, "Yes, I did mean it, Chloe."

It was as if her nervousness was shed the second he said those words and Chloe felt as if she were watching from the outside as she stepped away from the fireplace and walked towards him.  Barely aware of her movements, Chloe stopped in front of him, staring downwards as he looked up at her, his eyes shuttered and refusing to be read.  The challenge issued, Chloe moved forward, resting a knee on either side of him and drew close.  

Voice deep, she asked, "Really?"

He stared back at her.  "Absolutely."

Inches from his lips, she stopped and let her eyelids close halfway, never breaking their connection. She put her hands on his shoulders when she felt his own go around her waist.  Satisfied by his reaction, Chloe said, "Prove it."

*********************************** ~ *********************************** 

She's heard him coming despite the heavy carpeting that mostly masked his footsteps, so Chloe didn't jerk in surprise when Lex put his mouth to her shoulder.  Unsure of what to do, she gripped the blanket around her body a little tighter and cleared her throat, "I got cold."

"Ideal place to find something warm," Lex looked around his bedroom and at his bed, which had been stripped of its comforter.  "How are you feeling?"

"All right.  I guess," Chloe stared out the window before her, the lights of Metropolis spread out far and wide on either side.  His hands were warm as they rested on her upper arms.  "That… that was…"

"Amazing," Lex whispered into her ear, delicately kissing it afterwards.  

"Yeah," Chloe shuddered despite the warm fabric around her. "Lex… I didn't come here for-"

"I know, Chloe," Lex turned her around and she turned bright red when she saw that he'd done nothing to cover himself.  "I know you better than you think."

"Do you?"  She whispered softly as he began to push the blanket back from her.  The nervousness was back in full, especially when his hands were getting closer to her skin.

"Oh, yes.  I do."  The blue tint of the window caused his features to have an eerie hue and Chloe's mouth went dry as he removed the barrier between them.  "Chloe Sullivan.  A passionate, beautiful woman who has an incredible future ahead of her."

"Can you tell me what that future is, because I'm not so sure," Chloe's breath caught as he moved closer.

"We'll see."  

"Lex, what am I doing?"  Her breath caught again.  "What are you doing?"

"I'm proving my point, Chloe."

*********************************** ~ *********************************** 

_Sunlight._

_Cushiony floor._

_Warm blanket._

Chloe ticked off those things as she slowly woke up, blinking against the rays coming through the window.

_Naked body._

_Not good._

_Arm around waist_.

_Attached to another body._

_Another **naked body.**_

_Oh, this is definitely not good._

Chloe slowly began to slide away, trying her best not to wake up Lex as she stood up.  Some time during the night, they'd managed to use almost everything that had been on his bed but the mattress.  His head was tucked into a pillow on the floor, his body mostly covered by the blanket she'd retrieved the night before.  Chloe stared at his unmoving form for a while before shaking herself out of the daze.  

_Naked Lex. Not good, not good, not good._

She hurried down the hallway to the living room, picking up her shirt where it was thrown by the couch, her pants from where they were smashed under the coffee table and her underwear from in between the cushions of the seat.  Dressing quickly and retrieving her purse, Chloe threw on her jean jacket and stared at the hallway, expecting Lex to come out any second.  When he didn't, she decided to consider it a blessing and made her way towards the door.

Sticking her hands in her pockets, she was halfway through the doorway when she felt the card jamming at her fingers again.  Her stomach sank as she pulled it out, looking down at his steady writing and swallowing hard.  _I am crazy.  _

_What have I done?_

She didn't want to answer that question. Not right now.  But it was with a firm hand that Chloe walked back into the penthouse and slapped the card down on the coffee table.  As far as she was concerned, Lex was right.  Any attempts at an interview were doomed to fail.  Particularly after the night before.

It was as she was closing the door that Chloe firmly assured herself that this was going to be the first and last time she let Lex Luthor interfere in her life.  If she were lucky, they'd never cross paths again.

*********************************** ~ *********************************** 

Lex glowered at his cup of coffee, as if waiting for it to explain itself.  Knowing he was being ridiculous, he lifted a hand to his forehead and tried to force the thoughts out of his mind.  Even so, it was no use because in his other hand was a card that he'd found after he'd woken up alone; Lex had recognized it instantly and his stomach had sank as the significance had weighed in.  Crumpling it in his fingers, Lex threw it out of sight, not sure if he could stand it touching his skin anymore.  As far as he was concerned, he only wanted to be touching one thing rig

He had woken soon after her, the space she'd left behind still warm when he'd felt over in that direction.  Part of him knew she was gone, but even Lex Luthor had clung to a hope that Chloe would be found sitting on his couch or fighting with his coffee machine.  It had soon become clear that she was gone and it had left him in a state that he couldn't let define.  Lex didn't like feeling like that.

So now he was sitting at his kitchen counter, planning a strategy he'd never thought he'd have to work out.  But even as he made each move in his mind, addressed each carefully written note to entice her back, Lex knew it was useless.  Chloe wasn't like the other women he'd been with.  For heaven's sake, it'd been obvious he was the first man she had ever been with herself.  

_"Why didn't you tell me?"_

_"I…" She stared up at him, wincing in pain.  "It didn't come up."_

_Lex laughed and leaned in to taste her lips as she got used to what he was doing.  "You all right, though?"_

_"Yeah," Chloe took a deep breath and blew her hair out of her eyes, gasping when he moved a little.  "Definitely."_

When she'd fallen asleep after the first time, all he could do was just lay there and stare at her, wondering where this had come from, wondering where it was going to go.  Wondering if he was ever going to see her again.

It scared him that a hope was growing inside that said he most certainly would.  It didn't matter what it took… Chloe Sullivan was going to be his.

*********************************** ~ *********************************** 

She saw him sitting there from the moment she came out of the stairwell, feeling sore and tired, wanting nothing but sleep.  

_Alone.  No men for me, thank you._

Clark, of course, had other plans.  As she approached her door, he stood up from where he'd been sitting against the wall.  "Hey."

"Hey, Clark," Chloe said, tiredly.  "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you.  Couldn't find you yesterday," Clark stared at his feet as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.  "I've been here all night, where were you?"

Chloe's hand froze on her keys as she was about to turn the lock.  Fighting for a casual voice, it came out more high-pitched as she said, "Oh, just doing stuff."

Clark looked puzzled by her dodging, but he said, "Look, Chloe, about the other night-"

"Yeah, about that," Chloe clamped down on the hysterics bubbling up inside of her.  She did not need a defining of the relationship talk right now, she didn't need for him to stare at her with puppy eyes and beg for them to stay friends.  "I was drunk, you were cute, it's all good."

"I just wanted to say I'm sorr-"

"You want to be friends and that's okay," Chloe finally got her hand to function and she opened the door.  Walking inside, she threw her purse onto a stray chair.  Stopping in place, Chloe licked her lips and turned to him, "Unless you have something to tell me."

"Uh," Clark looked frantically all around him.  Looking as if he were on the verge of saying something and trying to find the courage to come up with the words, he started several different sentences before finally looking utterly pathetic and relenting with, "No.  I guess that's it."

"Okay," Chloe forced her face into a smile.  "I'll go ahead and see you later, I need to get working on some stuff of my own."

"Yeah, all right, I should go," Clark began backing up.  "See you later?"

"Yeah, later," Chloe mumbled as he closed the door.  Gripping her head in her hands and feeling the ache between her legs all the more, she stumbled into the bathroom and took a shower.  

*********************************** ~ *********************************** 

She felt warm all over, partly from him, partly from the fire that was flickering next to them.  The light cast shadows on his face as he rose over her, perspiration glistening on his forehead, his breath coming out in furious pants.  Not sure of where to put her hands, she wrapped her arms around his back and threw her head back as everything rushed over her.  

_Lex's face disappeared as he played his lips against her neck, moving up to her ears.  Shivers broke out under her skin as he began to whisper over and over…_

_"You're beautiful… so beautiful…"_

"Chloe."

"So beautiful."

"Miss Sullivan, are you paying attention?"

Chloe jumped in her seat and out of the memories that had taken over in a quiet moment.  "Yes.  Mrs. Jameson.  Sorry."

The other woman took a deep breath and looked over at the young man beside her.  Harry Knowles gave Chloe a strange look, but pushed over some papers to Chloe's end of the desk.  "Nice to have you back with us.  As I was saying, this is the simplest layout I've had to deal with this year…"

Chloe nodded absently as the current editor described his various methods of setting up the Oracle for its weekly edition.  She tried to keep her mind on the different things he was saying, but it was proving more difficult than it should have been. It was bothersome in more ways than one.

Three days had passed since she'd escaped Lex's penthouse by the skin of her teeth, three days since Clark reaffirmed their friendship status, three days of recovering and assuring herself that she'd made a mistake, but there was no way of turning time back.  Chloe jumped every time someone knocked at her door, every time the phone rang, a part of her wondering if that upon answering them, Lex would be on the other side.  When she slept, her mind uprooted every deeply hidden memory of that night, tormenting her and waking her up, missing him and feeling ashamed of the want.  

All she wanted to do now was go back to Smallville and hide in her father's house.  She didn't even want to consider how much it would take in order to look Gabe in the eye.  But going home would meant putting space between her and Lex.  Going home meant she wouldn't have to be in close proximity to-

"Clark!"  Mrs. Jameson called out to the other man who's just come into the offices.  "How are you?"

He gave Chloe a glance, one that she turned away from quickly, but said, "I'm doing well.  Just came to drop off something for Harry."

"Thanks, Clark," Harry held out his hands and took the sheaf of papers from Clark.  "Glad you could finish it."

"Yeah, well, I had a lot of time," Clark shuffled his feet a little, but Chloe still wouldn't turn to him.  

"You staying around here for break? I could use some help in the office."

"Sure," Clark took a look around, fixing the backpack on his shoulder.  "I was going to stick around anyway."

"Great," Harry nodded.  "We'll be finishing up here in the next ten minutes, do you mind waiting until then?"

"No problem."  Clark nodded at their supervisor and tried to catch Chloe's eye again, but her head was bent as she pretended to study the information Harry had given her.  

"Anyway," Harry turned back to the two women sitting with him.  "This layout was something special that I came up with, it did quite well…"

Chloe breathed a sigh of relief as she left the offices.  All the excitement that had surged through days before had dwindled down to nothing and had left her craving a leave from her coworkers.  Glancing around the corner of a wall, she bit her lip as she saw Clark jamming a couple quarters into a vending machine.  The clunk of the soda can echoed through the hallway as she leant back against the wall and prayed that he would take the other entrance to the Oracle office.  A few seconds torturously tiptoed past her and Chloe was doing her best to gather courage and just leave when a voice called out to Clark.

"There you are," her stomach sank when she heard him.

"Lex!  What are you doing here?"  

"Looking for you, we were supposed to have lunch today, weren't we?"

"Oh, geez, I'm sorry.  I completely forgot."

Chloe tapped her foot impatiently as the two began to work out another time to meet, but her stomach twisted into a horrible knot at Clark's next words.

"So, I heard you agreed to have an interview with Chloe."

"Yeah.  I'm not sure if that's going to be a go after all, though.  She hasn't contacted me concerning the interview."

"I can't imagine her turning you down after you've already agreed."

"Well, you know, women like the chase."

"Maybe you know better than I do."

"It's all right.  How is it with you two anyway?"

"Uh, fine.  Great.  You know, me and Chloe, always cool."

"…Right."

"Well, okay, so we've hit a rough patch, but we'll be okay.  We always are."

"If you say so."  She heard the muffled clap and guessed Lex had slapped his hand on Clark's shoulder.  "I should be going.  Hey, do you mind passing this on for me?  And tell her… tell her I'm still interested if she wants to pursue what we discussed."

"Um.  Okay."  Clark's puzzlement was clear.  "I'll try and catch her before she leaves for Smallville."

"Thanks, Clark."

"No problem.  Bye."

Struck numb, Chloe didn't move as she heard one pair of footsteps fade away as another pair came closer to her.  When it finally dawned on her that at least one of the guys was coming straight towards her, she forced her legs into moving in the opposite direction.  Short legs, however, were no match for Clark's long stride.

"Hey, Chloe, you just missed Lex."

"Darn," Chloe said dryly as she turned in her spot and looked at Clark holding out a small piece of paper to her.  

"He asked me to give this to you and said he was still interested in continuing your discussion, or something like that."  Scrutinizing her a little more closely, Clark said, "Are you feeling okay?  You look kind of pale."

"I just really need this break from school," Chloe grimaced, not having to fake exhaustion.  "Heading out in about half an hour."

Clark thrust the paper at her a little more.  "Well, here.  And… have a safe trip, okay?"

"Of course," Chloe knew he'd ask questions if she didn't take what he was offering, so she finally stretched out a hand and snatched the appear from his grip.  "Thanks."

"You're welcome."  Clark hesitated for a moment, but then moved forward and hugged her quickly.  "Call me when you get back."

"Will do," Chloe smiled tightly, nodding and gesturing to the exit with her head.  "Don't let Harry ream on you too much."

"I'll try my best."

She waited until he was gone from her sight before lifting her hand to eye-level and recognizing Lex's firm handwriting on the paper.  On it was nothing but seven digits, but it certainly held more significance than that.  "What we discussed… way to be subtle, Lex."

Sighing, Chloe eyed the trashcan down the hall and considered simply throwing the paper away.  But even as she looked at it, her hand began to stuff the paper into her pocket.  Not sure of why she did that, Chloe decided that she'd rather not think about the significance of it all and left the building.  

*********************************** ~ *********************************** 

Chloe was laying in her bed at home when she finally came to _the conclusion_.  

_The conclusion_ was that she'd gotten stupid one night.  She'd been vulnerable.  She'd been heartbroken.  And she'd voluntarily (_stupidly, stupidly, stupidly_) put herself in the same place as a man who was famous for his seductive nature.  Put two and two together and you got one hell of a ride. 

And lots of regret.

Shifting onto her side, Chloe buried half her face into the pillow and attempted to ignore her father's calls from downstairs, trying to tempt her with waffles.  Granted, he'd gotten better at it since she was five, but her stomach turned at the thought of trying to force anything down.  When his voice got more insistent, though, she knew it would be useless to pretend that she hadn't heard him.

Still in her pajamas, with hair half-fluffy, half-flat around her head, Chloe sat at the table and heaped her plate full of food.  "Thanks, dad."

"Morning, sweetie," Gabe kissed the top of her head.  "Glad you finally made it down."

"Would it miss this for the world," Chloe stuffed a forkful of waffles and syrup into her mouth, surprised that swallowing was easier than she'd expected.  "Why aren't you at work?"

"Oh, I get Thursdays off now, didn't I tell you?"  Gabe put a glass of milk in front of her and sat down.  

"No," Chloe said slowly.  "You didn't."

"Well," Gabe looked sheepish.  "It kind of goes hand in hand with some more news."

"Hmm?"  Chloe jabbed her knife into the food.  

"I got promoted.  Mr. Luthor made me the general manager over all three plants."

"What?"  Her fork and knife clattered against her plate as Chloe looked up at her father in shock.

"Isn't that great, Chloe?"  Gabe excitedly chattered over the various perks that his promotion had come with.  "And that means, I get three days off a week and access to the LexCorp helicopters when I need to go check over the other plants.  Smallville will be my home base, of course."

"Of course," Chloe whispered.  Measuring her accusatory and enflamed words against Lex that were forming in her head, Chloe made her voice even before she said, "So, did this just happen, you know, in the last week or so?"

Please say no.  Please say Lex didn't do this to get my attention.

"No."

Thank you, God.

"I actually found out about this a couple days before you were announced as the Oracle editor.  You were so excited, though, I didn't want to try and take your spotlight."

"Oh, dad," Chloe smiled at him.  "I wish you'd told me, this is really wonderful news."

"It is, isn't it?"  Gabe smiled brightly and pushed the plate of eggs at her.  "Things are just going wonderful for the Sullivan's these days, aren't they?"

"Yeah," Chloe could actually _feel_ the blood rush out of her face.  "Wonderful."

*********************************** ~ *********************************** 

When she didn't call after a week, Lex chalked it up to Chloe's stubborn nature.

When two weeks passed, he admitted that maybe, just maybe, he'd underestimated her.

Halfway through the third week, though, Lex was getting a little impatient.

It itched at him as he walked through his offices, gnawed on his mind as he sat in the mansion, watching the flames flicker and remembered their night together.  There had been absolutely no one in his life that stuck in his head like Chloe Sullivan had managed to do so.  And she wasn't even trying to do that.

Women called on him, chasing after Metropolis' favorite bachelor as if he was a prize to be won.  It amused him most of the time, but Lex found himself more and more annoyed by their vapid voices and lousy conversation.  When he finally got down to the heart of the matter, he had to confess that he was losing interest and was losing it quickly.  True, he didn't know Chloe nearly as well as others, but even their short encounters had been memorable.

It still made him smile when he thought about how she'd winked at him and waved her cup in his face, teasing him about being a modern knight in shining armor.  Something stirred inside of him as pictures of her body flashed in his brain at the most inopportune times.  Gabe Sullivan had seen him blush more times in the past few weeks than in the previous seven years of working together.  It was embarrassing remembering her when he was trying to concentrate on LexCorp's business with his new general manager.  

Any other woman would have called by now.  Any other faceless, mindless, co-dependent moron would have begged for another night with him at this point, but it was then that Lex reminded himself that Chloe was different.  She always had been.  Perhaps that was what was making him fall so hard when she wasn't even around.

_Love_, he mused to himself.  A funny thing.  He always thought he'd be able to control it, guide it and yet it was keeping him awake at night, hoping that the next time the phone rang, it would be her voice greeting him. He subtly pushed Clark for information each time they met, the other man never quite catching on.  Life's little pleasures and expectations had nothing on his best friend's oblivious nature.  

Chloe and Clark were slowly repairing the blow their friendship had taken and Clark had confessed that she'd been distant even after they'd had several meetings.  He even went as far to say that he felt as if Chloe were holding back from him that had nothing to do with their problems.  That piece of information had given Lex a small flicker of hope.  She was thinking of him, he knew it.  

But, damn it, why wasn't she calling?

Stealing women from other men had never been a problem, partly because Lex never had many close friends.  His guilt was further appeased when he heard Clark moan about how he wanted things to go back to the way they had been before Chloe had told him the truth of her feelings.  As much as he appreciated Clark in his life, it was becoming more and more clear that Lex would gladly push that aside if it meant he could be close to her once more.  

Perhaps it wasn't love.  Perhaps it was just an incredibly deep lust for a woman who was playing hard to get without meaning to.  Even if that was the case, Lex was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer.  They would be meeting soon, whether she liked it or not.

*********************************** ~ *********************************** 

"Be clear, be clear, be clear, be clear," Chloe had her hands fisted over her eyes as she repeated the two words over and over.  A small timer on the corner of her sink ticked off the seconds loudly, taunting her.  

She knew what it was going to say, but Chloe was still praying that when she put the little stick in her hands, it would go against everything her insides were telling her.  The loud buzz startled her, forcing fists into her eyeballs, making her flinch from the near self-mutilation.  Taking a deep breath, she lowered her hand as she stared into the mirror, blindly reaching for the applicator stick.  

When she brought it into view, it was as if someone had violently punched her in the stomach.

_Little blue line._

_Little blue line is not a good thing._

Pregnant.  Confirmed suspicions never felt so sickening.

Chloe's legs went wobbly from under her and the stick fell from her grip as she lowered herself to the cold tiles.  Shoulders shaking, Chloe covered her face with her hands and willed herself not to cry.  Though only moments passed, it seemed like hours had drifted by before Chloe felt strong enough to stand.  Steadying herself against a wall, she looked only to her bed for escape.

Her eyes were still dry as she lay there, not even bothering to force sleep into her overworked system; instead she stared at the dark ceiling, listening to her low breaths.  

They go away.  All the time.  This can go away.

Oh, God, make it go away.

She pressed her hands together and brought them to her mouth as she mumbled the prayer over and over.  

I can't deal with this.  I'm only twenty-one.  I've got my whole life ahead of me, just make this… complication disappear.  Just a little blood, it can't be all that big.  Let me wake up and just let it be gone.  No one needs to know.  Dad doesn't need to know.  Clark doesn't need to know.  Lex doesn't need to know.

When nothing happened, she put a hand to her abdomen and pressed hard.  _Please, just leave me alone.  I don't want you.  You're not even real, just a bunch of cells.  Break down, please.  Please._

But she knew no amount of begging was going to make this go away.

It was time to take out Lex's number.

*********************************** ~ *********************************** 

All it had taken was a few choice lies to convince Clark to sit in on their class together and take notes for the both of them.  She hadn't wanted to see him face-to-face, instead she called him on the phone, faking a cold and begging for reprieve.   

So here she was, riding aimlessly around the Kansas countryside, stringing words together in her mind in the best fashion that she could.  The brazen part of her, small as it was right now, suggested that she storm into the Luthor mansion and demand Lex's aid.  That, or go rob a convenience store so she could take care of the problem all by herself without anyone being the wiser.  It was when the lunacy reached lofty heights that Chloe shook her head and gripped the steering wheel a little bit tighter.  No matter how much Chloe wanted this interruption in her life to go away, Lex had the right to know.  

And she had the right to walk away after telling him.

Biting at her thumbnail, Chloe's attention was caught by a dark green billboard coming up on the right side of the road.  Smallville.  This was not the kind of homecoming she'd always thought about. 

_I can keep driving, _she thought desperately.  _Just drive and drive… and no one will ever know. _An old song by John Mayer popped into her head, taunting her into leaving it all behind her:  Clark, Lex, Harry's tyrannical point of view on the Oracle, the baby.

_Not a baby.  It is not a baby._  Chloe slammed a fist on the steering wheel.  _It's going to go away, like anything else.  I'm not going to let this change my life._

Her stomach sank when her sanity came into check and objected.

Too late.

********************************** ~ *********************************** 

"Mr. Luthor?"  

"Yes?"  Lex barely glanced at Louis, who was standing in front of his desk.  

"Phone call, sir."

"I'm a little busy here," Lex said impatiently, gesturing at the pile of papers all around him.  "Tell them to call back later."

"Sir, you may want to take this one."

"Take a message," Lex was about to delve back into his work when he stopped, his hand frozen right before picking up his pen.  _Chloe?  _Looking up at Louis again, Lex set his mouth in a straight line.  _Doubtful._

"Mr. Luthor?"

"Do what I said," Lex grumbled as he finally picked up his pen.  "Take a message."

"As you wish, sir," Louis said with resignation, turning from the desk and taking the phone off of hold.  "I'm sorry, Miss Sullivan, but Mr. Luthor will have to return your call later.  Would you like to leave a message?"

The pen's tip cracked against the surface of the paper he was checking off.  Lex's head shot up as Louis nodded absently wrote down the message on a note, passing it to his employer as he clicked off the phone.  "There you go, sir."

"That was Chloe Sullivan?"  Lex swallowed hard.

"Yes, sir.  She left this number so you could return her call, but she also wanted you to have this message."  Louis pushed the note across the dark wood of the desk and Lex took it slowly, carefully dropping his eyes to it.  

I'm at the Smallville High parking lot.  We need to talk.

Lex held it up.  "This is what she said?"

"Verbatim, sir."

The paper crumpled inside of his palm without notice.  Lex had to wait until his mouth had moistened before he could find the words to coolly say, "In that case, bring the limo around.  We have someone to meet."

"Very well," Louis nodded slightly and was gone moments later.

The crinkling of paper brought him back down, and Lex slowly unwrinkled it, spreading it out on the desk. After weeks, it was finally here, but something just didn't feel right.  The note, word for word as it was, just didn't fit.  It was cryptic.  It was vague.  It was not like Chloe at all.  

"Oh, God," Lex shut his eyes tightly and brought a hand to his head. "She's pregnant."

*********************************** ~ *********************************** 

He had Louis park around the back side of Smallville High, under careful instructions to not attract anyone's attention.  As it slowly came to a halt, Lex took a deep breath and called out, "Stay here, I'll be back… later."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Luthor," Louise said back, closing the divider between them.

Lex could smell the rain in the air as he stepped out of the limo and, always needing proof, he looked up and stared at the dark clouds for a moment before setting his shoulders and beginning to walk around the side of the building.  The little red Bug stood out like a beacon in the vast emptiness of the parking lot and even from where he was, Lex could see a slight figure behind the wheel.  

_It's the only possible explanation_.  His thoughts rolled over and over in his head.  The only explanation for a meeting out of everyone's eyesight could only mean that she wanted to say something that was not meant for anyone else's ears.  That meant that no one else was to know.  As Lex stepped closer to the car, he tried to smash his emotions into a dark corner.  They would do him no good tonight.

Blonde hair shifted against Chloe's face as he saw her sigh and drop her head against the steering wheel.  In his mind's eye, though, he saw that same hair falling over his face as she leant over him.  

"I can't believe I'm doing this," her voice barely audible, Chloe's eyes completed the sentence for her.

_Lex reached up and brushed back a piece of hair and she visibly shivered from his touch.  "But here we are."_

_"Yeah…" She shut her eyelids, blindly finding his lips again, but he guided her, entwining his hands in her hair.  When she broke the kiss, she added, "Here we are."_

Maybe that's when he fell in love her.

Maybe.

Lex looked closely at her as he put his hands on the passenger side door and hoped his heart wasn't beating so loud that she heard it, too.  Here they were again… and this time Chloe was going to stay.  Even if she didn't want to.  Not yet, at least.

"You finally called."

**The End.**


End file.
